Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus Translation

The wizarding customs are already a magical lot, but in that location'due south besides plenty of underlying magic behind their names. In fact, the etymology of sure characters' names can reveal more about them than you e'er thought you knew…

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Harry Potter

The joy of Harry Potter's proper name was that information technology seemed like one so delightfully ordinary for someone who achieved so much. But when we dig a piddling deeper, it seems to be a very fitting name for the Boy Who Lived.

The name Harry is the Middle English form of the name 'Henry', a name which was favoured by many an English king. Leadership runs deep in Harry's name, every bit well as the motif of war – which Harry is sadly very familiar with. Harry is also related to the Old High High german discussion 'Heri' which means 'army'. Every bit one of the founders of Dumbledore'south Army, this seems apt.

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Albus Dumbledore

Yous may know already that 'Dumbledore' is an archaic word for 'bumblebee', which is rather sweet. 'Albus' accordingly means 'white', but like the Professor'southward famous beard. But let's not forget about his many middle names, which get far deeper into Dumbledore's more circuitous characteristics.

'Percival' suggests a history of battle, as Percival was one of the legendary knights in King Arthur's court. Wulfric, oddly enough, means 'wolf power' – although we're pretty sure Albus didn't have whatsoever lycanthropy skills. Equally for Brian? That is an old Celtic word, meaning 'noble', which Albus very much was.

Dumbledore uses the Elder Wand to extract a memory

Rubeus Hagrid

Hagrid's proper noun may be derived from the term 'hagridden – which means 'worried'. Hagrid is often hagridden for the rubber of Harry, afterward all. Rubeus may come up from the Latin 'Rubeo', which ways 'I am red or ruddy.' And, if you lot notice in the books, this is exactly what happens when the Professor partakes in a drinking glass of vino.

Hagrid looking sad before the execution of Buckbeak

Draco Malfoy

Past no ways a dramatic coincidence, Draco's beginning name is Latin for a terrifying beast that spits burn – or, more than specifically, a dragon. You may have noticed that Draco's name is also office of the Hogwarts school motto: 'Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus' – which means 'Never tickle a sleeping dragon'. We would definitely apply this same logic to Draco besides.

As for his love last name, y'all might think Malfoy means 'rich, blond and probably quite rude'. Well, not quite, but the term 'Mal', actually derives from Quondam French ordinarily means 'bad or 'evil' and 'foi' means 'faith' or 'trust'. How interesting…

Tom Marvolo Riddle

We already know that Tom Marvolo Riddle's name is soaked in a lot of personal meanings for the character. Tom was always aggrieved to apply his 'filthy Muggle father's name' as he put it, so devised a new proper name for his future self, 'Lord Voldemort'.

The proper noun that Tom avoided so much has been effectually since the 1700s, and is one of the most popular names in history. Incidentally, both his and Harry'due south proper name of grade feature in the phrase 'Every Tom, Dick or Harry'. Tom unremarkably is defined to mean the male version of something – such every bit 'tom cat'.

'Marvolo' isn't a traditional name, and comes from Tom's pure-blood wizard grandfather, Marvolo Gaunt. Equally for 'Riddle', the word as we know it defines to 'something that puzzles or perplexes' which is certainly true for Tom Riddle, just dorsum in the 1800s was a Middle English language term to hateful 'perforated with many holes' – much like when Harry stabbed his diary in Chamber of Secrets, you might say…

Tom Riddle in Slughorn's memory from The Half Blood Prince

Hermione Granger

Hands upwardly if y'all had been pronouncing Hermione's name wrong when you first started reading the books. Yep, thought then. Complex pronunciations aside, 'Her-My-Own-Articulatio genus' is a proper noun rich in mythological value, as in Greek mythology, Hermione was the daughter of Male monarch Menelaus of Sparta and his wife, Helen of Troy.

Meanwhile, Granger, co-ordinate to the Centre English language definition, was amusingly an occupational term for 'bailiff', which because how much Hermione Granger has to tell off Ron and Harry, is rather fitting.

Hermione holding up her wand from the Chamber of Secrets

Remus Lupin

The origins behind the name of this earnest Marauder could not be more apt. First of all, we take Remus, which is a name known quite well from the Roman myth 'Romulus and Remus', the tale of the twin brothers who were abandoned at nascence, brought upwardly by a she-wolf, and went on to institute Rome.

Then there is 'Lupin' – derived from the Latin 'lupinus' – which means… drum roll… 'of a wolf'. As such, it would seem that Remus Lupin's fate was always locked within his name.